firearm usage tracking

hey i was just wondering how important it is to track your firearm usge. for example, the amount of rounds you fire off in a night. Is this something that should be done? what are your opinions on it?
any help for a newb would be great!

XYZ,
When I was competing in NRA Bullseye shoots, I learned the value of a score/record book. These days I compete only against myself and have resurrected the score/record keeping. I shoot a standardized program of 50 shots per target and post details of each shoot in an Excel spreadsheet for each separate gun/caliber. Each spreadsheet is programmed to automatically post the score to an Excel graph which makes it very easy to visually see improvements or changes over time. This process has helped motivate me to consistently better scores.

I don't track scores. My shooting isn't that good. All I'm concerned with is whether or not I can get the bullets on the silhouette. As long as I can do that, I'm happy.

I do track the number of rounds fired by weight for each weapon. I created an Excel workbook with a spreadsheet for each firearm. I have the date I bought each weapon, the date they're taken to the range, how many rounds and what the bullet weights and type of ammo. Also I note any problems, Failures to feed, eject, or any other mechanical problem, as well as misfires.

The interesting part is dealing with my EAA Witness. It was originally a .45ACP pistol. But I bought a 10mm conversion. So I keep track of each caliber seperately, but also have a total for the whole thing. While the upper for each only takes the punishment for the individual caliber, the lower part takes it all for both. And if I get some other conversions I'm thinking of, it ought to look really interesting then!

For those that do track usage: do you guys experience and problems or have any restrictions with your current process?

Do you think if the there was software available that did all of this and warned you when you are running low, when licenses are about to expire, and just general tracking... would you be interested in something like this?

And I've only got one license related to guns, that could expire, that's my CCW, which I just filed to renew.

For me, the Excel spreadsheet works fine. I might even alter it to include score keeping. For the most part though, I'm interested in tracking how many rounds I've fired through any particular gun/barrel.

I track rounds fired per gun in a note book with a page per gun. It can help with resale as it only has "blank" rounds through it. Its also a way to tell when the last time a gun has been out of the safe. As in "boy I haven't had this one out since last year." I track my ammo inventory on a spread sheet though so I know when to get more of what caliber.

hey i was just wondering how important it is to track your firearm usge. for example, the amount of rounds you fire off in a night. Is this something that should be done? what are your opinions on it?
any help for a newb would be great!

Click to expand...

It is of no importance to track your firearm usage unless you plan to use the data for some purpose.

Speaking for myself, the feds make me keep a log book of C&R firearms, but I couldn't tell you how many rifles I have off the top of my head. I'm pretty sure I could tell you which one was out last but wouldn't bet my paycheck on it. I really have no idea how many rounds I put through it, nor do I have any real reason to care.

I also have no need to track ammo since I buy when it is cheap regardless of "need", and sadly have less time to shoot than I have money.

To answer your second question, no, I'd have absolutely no interest in buying software that tracks stuff. I'm also on the one license plan, and if I can't remember that, I probably ought to stop shooting for fear of forgetting which end the projectile comes out of.

on New Year's Eve. It is a Texas thing. The only time I pay attention to how many rounds I shoot is before I go shooting. If I can see the bottom of the ammo crate, I note that I need to buy more ammo. Some of my guns are well over 100 years old and they don't seem to be wearing out any time soon, at least during my lifetime.........Long ago I gave a fleeting thought of keeping track of shots fired per gun but I figured, what is the point......chris3

I keep track,-- sorta. Every gun has its own file folder, with receipts, etc., which pretty much documents the history of that firearm with me. This comes in handy when selling or trading the gun. I keep the required bound book for C&R firearms, plus I keep another similar book for non-C&R firearms on the theory that it is a good thing in case of insurance claims or other situations that might arise.

I also keep a little notebook for each rifle, where I make a short entry for each time I do something to or with the rifle. This includes range sessions, adjustments made, accessories added, and rounds fired. Many times I have gone back to check something in that history, so it's worth the (very small) effort to me to keep it. I don't keep those records on pistols and shotguns, though.

I sort of kept track at first by empty boxes I kept for a while for some reason, then by the number of rounds I'd reloaded as I shot only the reloads. Now I've lost track and the count in somewhere around 30,000 but I would have no way to verify that.

I did my concealed carry class about a month ago, so it's all pretty fresh in my head.
One thing I was told by the instructor concerned keeping a log of your range activity. The logic is that should you ever be in court defending your actions for protecting yourself the 'range log' could be produced and used to help prove that you are a well practised shooter and have kept your skills current.

I do it. Got a real simple system to keep track of the count in my pistols.
Four beaters go with me every trip...each with 18 loaded magazines. Total, 126 rounds per gun per trip. Mark the date on a calendar and do the math.
Retain the calendars for neat, easily kept records of long-term use.

Rifles are even simpler. Ammo is carried in plastic MTM boxes. A strip of duct tape on the top with a mark for each time that the box is emptied.
Keeps track of the number of times that the brass is fired/reloaded.
Peel the tape off and re-stick it onto an index card...date it and file it away.

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